The Love of Money...

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10

M oney. That little word that holds so much value! It can do a lot of good in this world but it also does a lot of evil. "The love of money..." So actually in essence it is not money that does evil, not at all, but the love of money.

It is when we start loving money and making our gold our god. It is then that the evil starts to take place. People love their gold so much that they will do anything to get a few more pennies. Even if it means taking the last crust of bread out of the mouth of a poor orphan. Even if it means betraying a fellow human being. Anything...

"A penny will hide the biggest star in the universe if you hold it close enough to your eye."

Lie, cheat, steal. Dishonesty is the order of the day when it is in their own favor. Even if it is not outright dishonesty, it is still dishonesty, and dishonesty is sin.

They will do anything to rip the last little bit out of you. They are constantly scheming up ways to bring in a little more gold and silver. They care only for their own comfort of the moment instead of caring for others. They live in luxury, "...eat drink and be merry..." They don't give the slightest thought to the hungering, thirsting, nearly naked or naked people around the world. They lead incredibly selfish lives.

Are we people like that? Even unconsiously making our money our god? Yes, we must work and earn a living; the Bible states that if a man does not provide for his family he is worse than an infidel. [1 Tim. 5:8] But we must never put our money ahead of God or our family. That would be wrong.

Or are we people that share? People that live as Christ lived, walking amongst the forsaken and cast out. Lifting up the sick and the weak and helpless. Holding the little children on his knees. Feeding the thousands. Are we always caring for those around us? Sharing even our last crust of bread?

Managing our money wisely is soo very important instead of wasting it on frivilous things. Prepare a care package for a needy person and let them know that there are those who care. There are those that share.

We must keep in mind the interests of others. "Bearing one another's burdens..."[Gal. 6:2]

"People that think it is alright to tell white lies soon become color blind."

If we live as those who love their money and make their money their god. We will hear the dreaded words, "Depart from me into everlasting fire..."[Matt. 25:41]

"For I was hungered and ye gave me no meat, thirsty and ye gave me not to drink, sick and in prison and ye visited me not, naked and ye clothed me not, for as much as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to Me." [Matt. 25:42-43]

"Even a penny is too much to pay for something that is not needed."

"A smile enriches those who receive without making any poorer those who give."

"Giving advice to the poor is about as near charity as some people ever get."

May we have compassion and show love to eachother, and so follow the golden rule; "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Stop and think before you buy something, do you really need it? I speak as much to myself. Instead why not fill a care package for someone who needs to know Christ's love? A card for a shut-in. A visit to a sick one. A hot meal to a bereaved one. A comforting hug to a crying child, a hurting person. Even as simple as a warm smile and sunny greeting can go a long way.

"Behold, my servant shall deal prudently..." Isaiah 52:13

Written February 28th, 2007

Reach Out and Touch

God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. -Author Unknown

R each out and touch a world that is hurting. Reach out and touch them with God's love. So many people everywhere are hurting, even the most famous people, people that you think should be happy with all the attention they get, they have all the fame and riches showered down on them and yet, and yet....they are still miserable, deep down they suffer from depression and in the end they take their own lives unable to stand the pain any longer.

Reach out and touch a world that is crying. Reach out and touch them with the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For even those who know it best are hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.

Even the people that live under the shell of "Christianity," many of them are hurting also. On they go through private pain, and laughter hides the pain beneath. But they say, "Eyes are the windows to the soul." And when I around me, I see so many people pretending happiness when they really deep down are wondering why they are here. They laugh and joke when deep down they would rather cry.

Reach out and touch them with the message that Someone loves them, cares for them and died for them. The message of: "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest."

Reach out and touch even when touching means loosing a part of your own self. Show them that there is a reason why we are here. There is a purpose for our existence. That we can have a direction for our lives. That we can live forever.

Everywhere people are hurting and crying beneath the smiles on their faces. People need the Lord. Lonely people that do not know our great and wonderful Friend that will never forsake us. People that bear untold heartache alone. They are breaking beneath the burdens they bear. And no one seems to care.

There is no excercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.

Who knows, maybe the person you passed on the road, the person that said he was doing great, maybe he really wasn't. You don't know, but you can offer a prayer up to heaven on their behalf. The one that smiled and greeted you cheerily, just might have needed a word of encouragement that day. We humans hide our pain, we don't want others to know. But oh, "eyes are the windows to the soul."

I see so many eyes that hold an empty ache. Eyes that look at you crying out in pain. Eyes that if they saw the Saviour, the pain would vanish and real joy would take its place. Everywhere....people need the Lord.

Oh friends, may we reach out and touch a world that is dying. A person that is hurting, be a friend to the friendless, share that there is a Home to the homeless, a light to those in darkness. A comfort to the comfortless, reach out as an instrument of God to ease the pain. If we saw others as Christ sees them we would stop sitting back in our comfy chairs. We would get up and go out and touch. We would give of ourselves. We would pray for the ones that hide their pain. We would offer hope to the hopeless, and love to the loveless, and joy to the joyless. We would give as Christ gave.

Reach out and touch the one who hurts us, return good for the evil, knowing that the evil is done by a pain-filled person. Offer them something better than what they have instead of giving back to them nothing better than they gave you.

....See them as Christ sees them...
....Reach out and touch....

Written February 10th, 2007

Stepping Out of a Downward Spiral

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? Psalm 74:10

I sit here with my pen poised once again above my paper trying to think out how to put my thoughts into words. The signs of the times are all around us. Sin is becoming increasingly more blatant and this world is only picking up speed in its downward spiral towards hell.

Evolution, feminism, abortion, pornography, same-sex marriage, sex change, murder, deception etc... are only examples of the path the world has taken which is leading them ever closer to the doors of hell. This earth is only getting more and more wicked by the minute.

It is rather scarey when I look at all that is going on, and if it weren't for my Saviour holding tightly to my hand I would give away in fear. But I know He is with me despite the increasing evil of this world. He will keep me and each of you safe in His care.

"America was a better place when people opened meals with a prayer instead of a can opener."

I saw recently that someone was arguing that Down's Syndrome children should not be allowed to live, that it should be the "duty" of parents to abort them. And I think of my dear down's syndrome cousin. She is so sweet, so endearing, so precious. she has been such a blessing to those that know her. If she had been murdered we all would have missed out on a wonderful blessing.

These little ones are especially precious in His eyes. And if we are blessed with being given the priviledge to care for one of these ones that are precious in the eyes of our Lord we should rejoice. Yes, it may be harder than if they are normal, but they are just as precious and just as worthy of life as the others.

The way people treat children as "just a blob of tissue" these days makes me feel horrible. the Bible says plainly that it would be better "if a millstone were hung around their necks and they be drowned in the depths of the sea, than that they should offend one of these little ones."

Imagine how awful it must be to look from high, and holy heaven where our Lord and Saviour is to look down and see that His precious little children that He entrusted to the care of man are being murdered cruelly and being treated worse than dirt. This is sin in the sight of God. And He will judge the sinners for their wickedness, and these precious little ones who have been so ill-treated on earth will receive the best place in Heaven.

As I look around me, I shudder at the evil I see and can't look at it for long and I must cling to my Lord. Without Him I would sink in despair and depression. And as this world is spiraling hell-ward, I must cling to my Saviour as He holds my hand tightly, drawing me upward to His light and life to pure and spotless Heaven, free from all this sin. To live forever with Him with these precious little ones in His presence. Oh what joy forevermore!

Friends, meet me there at the throne! Let none of us loose hope in this sin-sick world, we must keep our eyes fixed above, and our hands in His Hand.

Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Written February 3rd, 2007